Uncle Joe a revisionist

Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon holds “President’s Indianapolis Speech” with the words, “Revision to Tariff” struck out and holds a pen to write on it as President Roosevelt looks on.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon in the Washington Herald refers to the Memorial Day address President Roosevelt delivered in Indianapolis a few days prior. Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon was indeed a chief congressional supporter and protector of trusts and tariffs.

Joseph Harry Cunningham’s awkward cartoon implies that Cannon vetoed parts of Roosevelt’s draft. In fact, he was not present on the presidential party’s swing through Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, and the president’s Indianapolis speech — which he viewed as a major policy address and on which he had worked a long time– restricted itself, after honoring veterans, to matters related to the railroads, their probity, and need for regulation.

The president was much concerned with railroad matters and Edward Henry Harriman’s activities at this time. In addition to speeches in late May and early June, his article “Railroad Investments” appeared in the June 1907 issue of Review of Reviews magazine. Speaker Cannon was able to say that at least the president had left tariff revision alone.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-06

Creator(s)

Cunningham, Joseph Harry, 1865-1946

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation